Into the Fire!
by Person37
Summary: Rinoa disappears after going to make plans for a wedding and Squall vows to find her no matter what the cost.
1. Questions

I don't own any of this except for my own ideas and characters. The rest belongs to Squaresoft.

CHAPTER ONE

QUESTIONS

The young man leaned casually against the balcony staring out at the wide expanse of water in front of him. It was indeed a beautiful sight to see as the sun began to sink below the horizon in the distance but it was completely lost on the man as he was deep in thought. Many different things were running through his head. Some things good and some things bad. Even several that he couldn't decide how to classify. He tried to concentrate on one or two things at a time but gave up after a few moments and just let them all mix back together again. 

There was one thought in particular though that had been driving him crazy for the last several weeks. He had made a decision to do something that would dramatically change his life forever. He just couldn't seem to work up the courage to do it. 

"Hmmppphhh." He mumbled to himself quietly. "Travel into the future. Fight your way through a castle that would scare the fur off of a Toramo. Defeat a Sorceress hell-bent on destroying existence and then survive getting stuck in a Time Rift at the end of Eternity and you still can't even work up the courage to ask Rinoa to marry you."

Squall Leonhart suddenly realized he was turning into a Chickenwuss. Deciding to steer his thoughts away from that particular idea he glanced out at the sunset and realized with a start that the sun was gone and that the moon was beginning to creep up over the horizon. He had been so deep in thoughts that he lost all track of time. Cursing silently to himself he quickly turned and headed for the stairs that would take him to the second floor hallway. He was supposed to be in the Ballroom with everyone else for a ceremony to mark the one-year anniversary of SeeD's victory against Ultimecia. He could already see Rinoa or Quistis forcing Zell to come looking for him thinking he was too embarrassed to show up. 

Picking his pace up slightly Squall made his way onto the elevator and selected the button for the first floor. As the doors slid closed, Squall noticed his reflection in the polished chrome on the wall. Still looking much the same as he had a year before when he met Rinoa at his Graduation Ball except his hair was slightly longer now. 

Adjusting the sleeves on his uniform he couldn't help but grin slightly at the fact that even though he hadn't changed very much outwardly he had in fact changed dramatically inwardly. He was still very quiet and loved to brood (Even though Selphie made a sign that said NO BROODING ALLOWED! and hung it up in his office while he wasn't looking.) as much as possible but he had opened up to his friends and had even went and talked with his father quite a few times. And he was in love with the most beautiful woman on the planet. 

And then there was no more time for reflecting as the doors slid opened and he stepped out onto the first floor. 

"Howdy Squall! Where you been? I've been looking everywhere for you." 

Squall turned to see a tall man striding towards him from the direction of the Ball Room. He was dressed in a SeeD uniform like Squall's but despite regulations he was still wearing his black cowboy hat on top of his head. 

"I was on the balcony and lost track of time. How much did I miss and how ticked off are the girls?"

"Oh I see. Were you by any chance thinking about asking Rinoa a certain question or were you thinking of another reason to wait?" 

"Whatever." Retorted Squall "Actually it was on my mind. I just need to do it, don't I?"

Irvine trotted several paces ahead before turning in front of Squall as they came to the entrance of the Ball Room. "Listen, Squall, If you want my expert advice, being the Ladies Man that I am, then I say just do it. Tonight would be perfect! Just do a little dancing, add a little wine and then take her somewhere quiet and romantic and propose."

Rolling his eyes at Irvine and his cocky banter Squall stepped past him and pushed through the door to join the party. Then before the door closed he turned back to Irvine who was following him and replied, "No promises! So don't go having Selphie start planning anything." And then added upon seeing Irvine's hurt expression, "At least not yet." With that he turned and walked towards the table section where he could see Quistis and Rinoa chatting.

Slowly making his way over to their table he nodded greetings at Xu and Nida who had just stepped off of the dance floor and were heading over to chat with Headmaster Cid. Seeing Rinoa look up at him as he walked towards her he felt all his nervousness rise back to the surface. But it was too late to back out now because he had decided he was tired of worrying over it so he would do as Irvine had said and ask her to marry him before the night ended.

"Hey Squall," said Rinoa with a slight giggle, "Nice to see you made it! Quistis sent Irvine to look for you and make sure you weren't in the Training Center."

"Yeah, I ran into him on the way down here. I was surprised since I figured you would send Zell."

"We tried but he was too busy begging for more hotdogs." Replied Quistis at the same time as the music ended and Headmaster Cid's voice came over the speakers. 

All three turned towards where he was standing on the raised stage and waited to see what he had to say. 

"Hello everyone!" he began before waiting for Zell to finish choking and coughing on the hotdog he had found. Once the commotion had died down he continued, "As you all know, tonight marks the one year anniversary of the day that SeeD successfully stopped Time Compression and defeated the Sorceress from the future. I just wanted to take this opportunity to once again congratulate each and every one of you for all the hard work you did and to also ask that you would all take a moment to remember all of those who can't be here with us tonight because they gave their lives in the fight with the sorceress. That is all. Now everyone have a good night." 

Cid replaced the mike and left the stage to return to his wife who was sitting nearby. Squall waited until he was seated again and then turned to Rinoa.

"Rinoa, why don't we go out on the balcony for a while? I have something I want to ask you.

To Be Continued…. 


	2. Relief and Happiness

****

CHAPTER TWO

RELIEF AND HAPPINESS

"So what did you want to ask me Squall?" Questioned Rinoa as she stood in front of Squall leaning backwards against him with his arms wrapped around her waist. 

The two of them were standing outside of the Ball Room in almost the exact same spot as the time when they had shared their first kiss one year before. The party was winding down and most of their friends had gathered in Irvine's Dorm to hang out. 

According to Irvine it was just a chance for them all to relax and catch up on old times since it was a rarity for all six friends to be at Garden at the same time. Most of the time, at least one or two of them was out on a mission. Squall suppressed a small smile thinking that since it was Irvines' idea then there was a good chance it would be more than just relaxing. In fact, chances were Zell and Irvine were already heading for Balamb this very minute to pick up alcohol and snacks. 

"Yoo-hoo! Rinoa to Squall. Anyone home?" Frowning Squall realized that he had been avoiding the reason that had Rinoa and him were standing out on the balcony. 

"Oh sorry. I was just thinking about a couple of things."

__

How do I this? Should I do this? What if she says no? Yikes listen to me. Ok I can do this. 

"Rinoa I had something I wanted to ask you… and… well I think that…well…uhmmm…I…"

__

Oh great job? Why don't you just stick your foot in your mouth while you're at it? It'll make more since. Where's Galbadia Garden when you need them. Garrghh! Quit stalling and just say it already.

Squall stepped out from around Rinoa and turned her so that she was staring right at him. Then kneeling down on one leg he pulled Rinoa's hand up to his chest and held it between both of his.

"Rinoa? I was wondering if you would…well…" Rinoa had been silent up to this point but as sudden understanding dawned on her she realized why Squall had been so distant lately. Then seeing Squall kneeling there like that with his cheeks the darkest shade of red that she had ever seen on a human she couldn't help but giggle quietly at the sight. She immediately held a hand up to her lips to stop them but Squall had already noticed and seeing the look on his face almost broke her heart. 

"Go on Squall." Kneeling down so that she was eye level with him she placed both her hands back in his and nodded for him to continue. "What did you want to ask me?" 

Squall peered back into her eyes and he could tell by the look in them that she had not been laughing at him at all, but most likely at the deep shade of red his cheeks must be turning. Suddenly he understood exactly how come he had been so scared to ask. It wasn't nerves or any of the other million things he had been pondering. It had been because he was afraid she would just laugh and walk away. Leaving him all alone again. But with one look into her eyes he could see that she had no intentions of doing that and that she was just as much in love with him as he was with her. 

"Rinoa will you marry me?"

And suddenly he found himself sprawled out on his back with a laughing Rinoa hugging him fiercely. Unsure for a moment he carefully wrapped his arms around her and said nothing.

Then, just as quickly as she had started, she quit laughing and looked him in the eyes and said, "Squall Leonhart. Do you know how long I have been waiting for you to ask me that?" 

And, just like that, Squall felt a ton of weight slide off of his shoulders and threw back his head and let out a deep-throated laugh that sent Rinoa into another fit of giggles. Then the two of them just laid together staring at the stars, neither of them needing to say anymore words.

"Irvine how much alcohol did you two think we would need?" asked Quistis as she picked through the multiple bags that had just been hauled in by Zell and Irvine.

"Hey you never know babe!" he exclaimed as he quickly tried to dodge a loaf of bread that Selphie had just winged at him from the kitchen area then added, "Uh, I mean Quistis. Sorry."

Quistis gave her head a slight shake and turned to examine the living room area of the apartment. Placed against the far wall, was a large entertainment center with a Big Screen TV and multiple other electronic devices and game systems. To the left on the next wall was a oversized black leather chair with a embroidered blanket on it that said 'COWPOKE SEATING ONLY! ALL VIOLATORS WILL BE **EXETER**ED!' And next to where Quistis was standing by the kitchen entrance was a matching leather couch with another sign on it that stated 'THE THRONE OF LOVE!'. Turning back to the breakfast bar that divided the kitchen and living room she noticed that Irvine and Zell were busy making mixed drinks and Selphie was sitting up on the far counter slamming one they had already fixed her.

"Uhhhmm guys, don't you want to wait for Squall and Rinoa to get here?"

"Trust me, they might be a little while! Squall wanted to talk to Rinoa in private for a while before they came over. I can't say what just yet, but I can tell you that if she says yes then there will be another big party soon."

"OK never mind I asked then." Replied Quistis and then turned back to the living room to search for a movie to watch. 

"Hey, Zell pass me a lime will you." 

"Yeah hold on I need the Amaretto for this drink for Quistis."

"Me first!"

"No me first!"

"No me!"

Seeing the two of them start arguing over ingredients for the third time in an hour Selphie decided to help them out by getting the ingredients herself. Jumping down from the counter she began to walk towards them somewhat unsteadily when the doorbell rang and Irvine dashed over to get it. 

__

Well, she thought to herself, _since Irvine went to get the door I suppose he doesn't need his drink he just made._

Giggling to herself she snatched it up and drank half of it before anyone even noticed and then stumbled out into the living room to see who else had shown up. She heard the door pulled open and then a high pitched squeal. Picking up her pace she made it to the living room in time to see Rinoa come diving through the door and slam Quistis into a bear hug. Squall followed right behind but with a less dramatic entrance. He nodded at Irvine and Zell and then glanced at Selphie right as she tripped over the arm of the couch and fell over. 

Glancing up from her new spot on the floor she noticed everyone staring at her in confusion until Quistis noticed her half empty glass of alcohol that she had held onto even during her fall. 

"Irvine, how many glasses have you fed to poor Selphie?" 

"Hey don't look at me! She kept asking for them." He replied with an innocent look as he reached down to help Selphie up. "So Squall, Rinoa, would either of you like a drink. You know, something to drink for a toast." He added with a wink in Squalls direction. 

Rinoa looked at Squall with a sort of 'How does he know?' look before finally nodding and walking towards the couch to sit next to Selphie.

Squall on the other hand looked at him with an attempted annoyed look but it quickly melted into a smile that surprised everyone in the room. 

Yes, actually we would like that very much because we have some very good news to tell you guys."

"Ok, is everyone seated?" asked Squall as he surveyed the room. Quistis, Selphie and Zell were all seated on the couch and Irvine was sitting in his chair with his legs stretched up over the side of it.

Everyone nodded at him and Rinoa who were standing in the center of the room. Seeing this he turned to Rinoa to see if she wanted to start or if he should. Seeing her grin at him he realized he wasn't going to get off the hook on this one so he started.

"As you all know, Rinoa and I have been seeing each other for just over a year now. A few months ago I started thinking about what our relationship meant to each other. I knew I was in love and I believed she felt the same as me. So I am glad to announce that earlier this evening Rinoa agreed to marry me." 

For a moment there was only silence and then the room erupted into cheers as everyone jumped to their feet and congratulated the two.

"Go Squall!"

"Congratulations!"

"Go get em Cowboy!"

"Booya!" 

THUMP!!!! Selphie who had stood to fast suddenly keeled over and passed out cold on the floor.

Quistis shot Irvine a glare that showed who she felt was responsible for the mess and then began to help Zell scoop her up and lay her on the couch. 

Rinoa giggled and Squall just smacked his hand to his head to hide the grin he felt growing.

To Be Continued…..

Authors Notes

Well I hope everyone likes that chapter. They will get longer as I go. Also there will start being action in the next couple chapter as the actual plot starts to unfold. Until then, have a good night. 

Oh yeah! Please feed a starving writers ego and review. (Sorry bad humor.)

See ya later and thanks to Angelprinczess29 for being my first reviewer.

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	3. Training and Planning

All FF8 characters and places are copyrighted. I own none of them except for my own characters.

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CHAPTER THREE

TRAINING AND PLANNING

At 430 AM Squall finally gave up on sleep and decided to work out in the Training Center. He had been so wound up with thoughts of Rinoa agreeing to marry him that he had been able to do little more than toss and turn. So now he found himself wandering towards the Training Center hoping to work off enough energy to get some sleep. 

As he walked down the hall leading to the steel blast doors, his thoughts trailed back to the previous night. After scraping Selphie off of the floor and dragging her home everyone else had decided to call it a night. Rinoa had said she wanted to go see her father as soon as possible and had headed back to her dorm to pack so that she could leave as soon as the train station opened the next day. 

She had decided a few months ago to try to salvage her relationship with her father. It had been going well so far and she believed this would be a perfect chance to spend some quality time with him. 

Squall hated to see her go without him but he had too many duties as Commander to leave on such short notice. He did plan on asking Quistis if she could take over for a few days so that he could meet up with Rinoa in Winhill after she talked to her father. That would give them a chance to talk to the current owner of Raine's old Pub to see if they could hold the wedding there. 

Plus it would give him a chance to get away from his job for a few days and relax. 

__

'Yeah that will be the day!'

As Squall entered the Training Center he stopped for a second to make sure he had Diablos and Bahamut junctioned. Once satisfied he proceeded on to look for some T-Rexaurs to beat up. Moving over the bridge he quickly found himself confronted by several Grats. 

Stepping forward he slammed Lionheart into the closest one and pulled the trigger, sending a energy pulse down the blade into the leafy monster in front of him. The Grat, unable to get away in time, tried to spit poison on him but he quickly stepped back and cast a Blizzard spell. After the spell wore off the Grat, its body fell to the ground and melted in a pile of its own poisons and gastric juices.

Squall scanned around to find the other two Grats slinking around behind him in an attempt to attack his undefended back. He quickly spun around and charged at the nearest one, planning to cut it in half before they could double team him.

He was just recovering from the move when the T-Rexaur attacked.

It burst through the trees to his left and snapped up the remaining Grat in its mouth and devoured it whole before turning its attention to the remaining combatant. Squall, still off balance from his last attack found himself flung backwards by the beasts monstrous tail. 

He slammed into a nearby downed tree and slid to the ground. He immediately jumped to his feet and cast a Cura on himself before rolling left to avoid the next swing. 

__

I'm gonna have to be more careful with this guy! He's bigger than most of the T-Rexaurs in here.

****

'Squall! Can I play with the nice lizard? I need the exercise.' 

__

'Whatever Diablos. Might as well.'

Squall gave himself over to the power of his GF and felt his body fade as Diablos burst forth from a orb of dark energy. Diablos reached up to the orb and allowed his own energy to mix before slamming it down on the beast below him. He then burst into a flock of bats and returned to Squalls mind. 

****

'Damn! Barely fazed the overgrown Iguana. Any suggestions?'

Squall merely grunted as he charged forward and struck at the T-Rexaur. All he managed to do was just about get squished under it's foot. Jumping backwards he reached down to his belt and felt for one of the stones he had in a pouch there. He then tossed it up in the air and watched it break open releasing its magic.

Squall faded away for a second time as the scenery around him dimmed only to be replaced by swirling blacks and browns. Within seconds, massive rocks began to rain down. A few of them missed their target but for the most part they slammed into the T-Rexaur's back and head. 

Squall watched and prepared for his next attack just as the monster gave one last growl before collapsing dead to the ground. Seeing this he stepped up and found a piece of Bone laying near its head. _'Hmmm. Irvine could probably use this to get a new upgrade on his Exeter.' _He slipped the item in his pouch and prepared to move on.

Sudden clapping and hooting caused him to stop and spin around. But it was only Zell and Irvine so he slid his Gunblade back into its sheath and jogged towards them. 

"What are you guys doing up? Oh, by the way, here's something you might be able to use Irvine." Squall drew to a stop in front of them and pulled out the piece of Dino Bone he had just found and tossed it to Irvine. Irvine went to catch it and missed it by about a mile before breaking out in drunken giggles. "What the hell! Are you two drinking again? And what are you doing in the Training Center if you are?"

"Whaddya mean, again! We never stopped, man. And we were out walking when we heard noises in here and decided to see who was fighting." Irvine let out a loud belch as he plopped down on the ground. "Speaking of which, what the heck did you think you were doing. That's a pretty stupid move taking on that T-Rexaur all on your own. You trying to widow Rinoa before you even get married?"

"Yeah Squall! You should be more careful next time. Besides if you woulda' told me I would have tagged along. I sure would have liked to give you a hand in that fight." 

"In your condition, Zell? You would have been more trouble than help. Besides I had Diablos and Bahamut with me." 

"Heh, your probably right. How is that overbearing goof Diablos doing anyway's?"

****

'I heard that!'

__

'Be quiet Diablos or I'll junction Siren again. Remember last time I did that she wouldn't leave you alone until you promised to go out on a date with her.' 

****

'Hey I was just making a statement. I can't help it if she likes me. Besides how are we supposed to go on a date? We're inside a brain. Sheesh.'

__

'Diablos! Last warning.'

'Shutting up!'

Squall turned his attention back to his friends, but not before he heard a deep throated laugh from Bahamut. Apparently he found the younger GF to be quite amusing this morning. 

"You guys want to get out of here? I think I'm gonna head back and get some sleep before I take Rinoa to the Train Station."

"Sure, why not. We ran out of alcohol a little while ago anyways and I think there's a little left at Irvine's place." Zell dropped his empty can of Old Galbadian Lite then turned and followed as the other two started for the door. "Hey wait for me!"

"I'll see you guys later. Make sure to watch out for Faculty. SeeD or not, you still shouldn't be drinking and wandering around the Garden." Seeing Zell and Irvine walk off towards their dorms Squall pushed open his own door and stepped into his room. Dropping his jacket on the couch he headed for his kitchen and grabbed a drink of water. He then went to the bathroom to clean some of the grime off of his face from the battle in the Training Center. Satisfied, he was about to turn out the light and head to bed when he caught his reflection in the mirror.

'_Yup, I sure have changed.'_

He then killed the light and went to his bedroom where he collapsed fully clothed and was snoring within minutes.

Rinoa's alarm went off at 600 am sharp. She arose immediately from a light sleep and began getting ready for her trip to Deling City. After a quick shower and some light makeup she was ready to grab her bags and meet Squall by the main gate. On her way out she whistled for Angelo and headed out. 

Within minutes she was heading for the main gate. As she approached she saw that Squall had already arrived and from the look on his face and the bags under his eyes she could see he hadn't slept well. 

"You okay Squall?" 

"Yeah, just tired." Taking Rinoa's bag from her he turned and the two began the walk towards Balamb Town. 

Knowing that Squall wasn't much of a conversation starter and that it was a several minute walk, Rinoa took the lead and poked him in the side.

"What was that for?" He exclaimed as he jumped slightly. 

"Just making sure you were awake." Trying not to giggle she trotted a few paces ahead and turned to wait for Squall. 

"Hahaha, everyone's a comedian today."

"So? Have you talked to your father yet?"

"No, I will later." Squall glanced up to see that they had arrived at Balamb Town and turned to head down the street to the Train Station. 

"Ok, I think that's everything." Exclaimed Rinoa as the baggage handler loaded the last of her gear into the baggage car. She turned to Squall and gave him a look that he found rather scary. He started to back away but before he had even moved two feet Rinoa pounced on him and gave him a hug. "Take care Squall. I'll see you in four days." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek that turned him a bright red before turning and walking towards the passenger car.

"Take care Rinoa. Be careful."

"Don't worry. I have Shiva with me. And besides I'm just visiting my dad. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Yeah your probably right. Ok I'll see you later."

With that he turned and strode towards the exit.

Rinoa settled into her cabin as the train began it's descent into the underwater tunnel towards Timber. Opening the small carry on bag she had brought with her, she pulled out the Timber Maniacs magazine she had borrowed from Squall and began to read. 

****

'Rinoa, someone is coming towards the door.'

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'What? Oh thank you Shiva.**'**

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

"Just a second!" Rinoa yelled as she stood up and walked towards the door. She could hear talking coming from the other side of the door and figured it was a steward checking to see if she wanted anything. 

She pulled the door open to see who was there. Just as she did she heard a mental shout of warning. 

Unfortunately, Shiva's warning was a second too late. The last thing Rinoa saw was the butt of a Rifle connecting with her face. 

Then blackness….

To be continued.

Authors Ramblings:

Hello all. I hope you like this chapter. I am tying to give the GF's a bigger role in this story and I hope it works. Also, I was wondering what everyone thought of Squall's character in this story. Do you think that's what he would be like a year later or would he be more like he is in the game? If you have a second to do it, drop a review and give me your opinion or any other criticism you might have. Thanks again to Angelprinczess29 for the reviews.

P.S. Don't ya hate cliffhangers?


	4. Fear

All characters and places are Copyright Square. Except for the characters and places I make up. Oh yeah and the story is mine.

****

Chapter Four

Fear

Squall stood watching silently as the train pulled out of Balamb station and began it's journey towards the underwater tunnel that would take it to Timber. As it disappeared from sight he turned and began walking towards the edge of town. As he walked he noticed that it was turning out to be a beautiful day so far. There was a nice cool crisp breeze and it was just warm enough not to need his leather jacket.

"Yoo-hoo! Squall, over here." Stopping in his tracks Squall turned to his right to glance across the street at the owner of the voice yelling at him. Across the way he saw Quistis and Selphie waving at him from their spot next to Ma Dincht's house. 

After quickly checking for traffic, Squall stepped across the street and approached them. "What are you guys doing in town?" 

"We're waiting for Zell to borrow money from his Ma so he can go with us on our shopping trip." Quistis exclaimed as Squall came to a stop in front of them.

"How did you manage that one?"

"We told Zell we'd buy him hotdogs if he carried our purchases for us."

Diablos, being the comedian he thought he was decided to speak up. **'Someone should really talk to that boy about his hotdog addiction sometime.' **

Bahamut, normally a very quiet GF, even agreed but chose to keep his mouth shut as usual or else run the risk of having to listen to his chatterbox companion rant all day about his dislike for Zell.

Just as Diablos finished his comment Zell came trotting out of his house with a big grin on his face. "Hey girls! My Ma gave me a 1000 gil to blow." He slid to a stop as he caught sight of Squall standing next to the rest of the group. "Yo, 'Sup Squall? Did they talk you into shopping too?"

"Whatever."

"Oh well, how about some chow before the train shows up?" Squall glanced at his wrist chrono and saw that he had several hours before any meetings so he decided to join them for a bite to eat. 

Within minutes they were at the Balamb hotel which had a quaint little outside eatery. Squall knew it quite well from the several times that he and Rinoa had decided to eat there. It was also a popular place for many of the SeeD's and cadets to visit while on leave from Garden. This morning though it was relatively quiet so the group was seated at a table and ordering in no time. 

"So Squall, do you have any one in mind to plan your wedding reception?" Quistis asked after a waiter took their orders and left to get the food. At this comment Selphie suddenly turned to Squall with a hopeful look on her face.

"Yes Selphie we had planned on asking you to arrange it." Squall answered with a slight grin, which caused Selphie to jump up and run around the table to give Squall a quick hug.

"Booya! Don't worry Squall, I won't let you down. It'll be the best wedding reception ever! In fact, I'll start looking for supplies on our shopping trip." 

"Hey Squall what about the wedding itself? Have you decided where you want to have it?" Asked Zell as he took a bite out of the breakfast burrito that had just been delivered. 

"Yeah, we decided to have it in Winhill at the old pub. That is if the new owner will let us." 

The four continued to chat about several different things for another half an hour until Squall stood up and said that he needed to head back and do some paperwork on the recent Field Exam participants. He tossed some money down and waved goodbye to the others before setting out for Balamb Garden. 

{-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------}

Within minutes he was once again heading towards the edge of town. As he walked along the street he couldn't help but wish that he were on the train with Rinoa instead of going to work to fill out more paperwork. He sometimes swore that the paperwork doubled every night while he slept. Sighing to himself he tried to concentrate on the fact that in a few days he would be in Winhill and once he was there he wouldn't have to think about Garden or paperwork or anything else work related for several weeks. Mentally laughing to himself he realized that it was probably the first real vacation he had ever had. And nothing would stop him from getting it! He was willing to vow to that. 

It was at that exact moment that Squall caught sight of someone he thought he would never see again. Or at least he thought it was him. Slowing to a stop he acted as if he were lacing up a boot and cast a surreptitious glance to his right. 

He was wearing different clothes and his hair was longer now but other than that he was a perfect match for one of the planets most wanted criminals.

Seifer Almasy!

Due to the increasing number of morning pedestrians and Squall's position farther down the street from him Squall was unable to see his face. The way the man carried himself though left no doubt in Squall's mind as to his identity. 

Squall's military training and years of classes on following suspects immediately kicked into full gear and he slid across the street while the man was studying a sign. 

Staying back several yards he was able to follow the man without giving himself away. As they approached the edge of town the man suddenly turned and strode down an alley that led back towards town. As he did he cast a quick look back and almost saw Squall. Squall saw him turn just in time and stepped into a doorway out of sight. As he slid out of sight he had just enough time to catch sight of the man's face.

It was indeed Seifer. Squall counted to five before ducking back out of his hiding spot and stepping up to the corner of the alleyway. He slipped quietly around the edge and crept down the alley. Glancing around he saw no sign of his quarry. For a second he thought he might have lost him but then he saw a door slowly swinging shut further down the alley. 

It looked to be some type of warehouse for boat construction and from the looks of it there wasn't any work going on yet. Squall looked up and noticed a fire ladder nearby. He ran over and climbed up to the second level where he was able to pry open a window and slip inside. He stayed for a few seconds and let his eyes adjust to the lack of light. 

Once they did he crept down the catwalk until he came to an open area used for storage. By now he could hear voices below him arguing quietly. He slipped in between several of the boxes and looked down through the grating. Directly below him he saw Seifer and another man talking. He couldn't hear much from his spot but he did have an idea how to catch more of the conversation.

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'Bahamut, can you help increase my hearing any?'

****

'Of course.'

Squall felt a slight queasy sensation as his sense of hearing increased dramatically but it quickly went away and he turned his attention downward again to see what was happening. 

"…it's done than?"

"Yes Seifer. The Sorceress has been captured and is being delivered to the compound as we speak."

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'Sorceress! They couldn't mean Rinoa could they?'

"Good! I wouldn't want to have to tell my employers that you screwed up again."

"Hey, that wasn't my fault. Your men never told us that the traitor was that powerful. They never even stood a chance. Not to mention that damn wolf of his killed three of my best men during their escape."

__

'I have to find some way to get a hold of Garden without losing Seifer. Damnit, I wish I had a communicator with me.'

"Well then, you should have remembered that when you try to take out a Wolf Nomad that you need to get his Bond-mate at the same time. They're linked mentally and will die to protect each other. Enough chit-chat though, I am returning to the compound with the Sorceress and I want you and your men to continue monitoring Garden. Let us know of any strange activity."

"Yes sir." With that said the two turned and walked towards the doorway leading out of the building. Squall was just about to follow when he felt a heavy weight slam into his back and knock him to the floor. 

He immediately slammed his elbow back and was rewarded with a gust of air as he knocked the wind out of his assailant. The man quickly regained his breath and grabbed Squall around the chest pinning his arm flat. Squall found himself dangling several feet off of the ground. The man was huge! And with his arms pinned there was no way to get to his Gunblade. 

He thought for a second about using magic but could think of no spells he could use in such close proximity without injuring himself as well. As he tried to think of a way out of the situation he felt another hand slip a rag over his mouth. He breathed a partial breath and immediately began seeing stars. 

Squall held his breath until his lungs felt like they would burst and then went limp pretending to have been overcome by the fumes. As soon as he felt his attackers arms loosen up a bit he brought both legs back as hard as he could and slammed them into the mans knees. It stunned the man just enough for Squall to squirm free and drop to the ground in a roll. He immediately went on the offensive and charged the giant. A quick roundhouse to the face gave Squall a satisfying grunt of pain from the other. 

He was just preparing to slam home a punch to the nose when he felt the dart slam into his shoulder. There was another attacker hiding in the darkness somewhere. Squall's legs immediately began to feel like jelly and arms didn't seem to want to respond to his commands.

He knew that if he feinted he was as good as dead. Looking around he saw a slight glimmer of sunlight a few feet away and realized that the fight had brought him near one of the windows. He used the last of his strength and flung himself through it.

His last thoughts as the sedatives completely overwhelmed his system were pretty much a prayer.

__

'Boy, I hope there's something besides concrete down there to land on!'

{---------------------------------------------------------------------------------}

"Is he gonna be alright Doc?" 

Yes, Irvine, I believe so. He had a massive dose of sedatives in his system plus the fact that he crashed through a second floor window and fell through a wood awning didn't help things any."

Squall slowly felt himself regain consciousness and immediately wished that he hadn't. every bone in his body felt like it was snapped in two or three pieces. Even his old scar that Seifer gave him hurt.

Seifer!

He had to warn everyone that Seifer was back! And he had to make sure Rinoa was OK. He started to rise out of the bed he was laying in but was pushed back down by a pair of arms.

"Hold it right there mister! You aren't leaving this bed for at least a week. You have several broken ribs and massive muscular damage where your right shoulder slammed through an awning. So don't even think about getting out of bed. Headmaster Cid will be down in a few moments to talk to you. Meanwhile Irvine here will keep you company." 

Doctor Kadowaki turned away from the injured young man and looked to Irvine who was leaning against the far wall. He nodded at her to show that he understood that he wasn't to allow Squall to leave. 

"No problem, ma'am." He tipped his hat at her as she walked out the door of the infirmary to call Headmaster Cid. He then turned to Squall and walked over next to him.

"How ya feelin, buddy?" He asked as he sat down in the chair next to Squall's bed. 

"Whatever. I have to get out of here! Rinoa is in danger. I have to help her. Now shut up and give me a hand getting out of here!"

"Sorry Squall, I really am but your not in any shape to help her."

A knock at the door let the two know that the Headmaster was there. He walked in quietly and stood at the foot of the bed. "Squall, I'm glad to see you awake. You've been out well into the night."

Squall immediately jumped in before the headmaster could continue his speech. "Sir I believe Rinoa has been kidnapped. I need to get out of here but that damn doctor won't let me."

"I know Squall! I ordered it that way. I am also aware of the situation with Rinoa. General Caraway called earlier and informed us that her train had been attacked while travelling though the underground tunnel and that she was taken prisoner by unknown forces."

"Which is why I should be out looking for her or Seifer instead of sitting in here." 

"Squall you are too injured and also way to emotionally involved in this mission. Zell and Irvine will be departing shortly to begin tracking her."

Squall could tell that the Headmaster had no intention of letting him go willingly and as long as he was a SeeD he had to follow the man's orders. 

__

'As long as I'm a SeeD? I can't sit here so there is only one other course of action I can take.'

"Sir, in that case I wish to inform you that I am resigning my position as Commander and that I am quitting SeeD."

"Sorry Squall you can't do that. Not while on medical leave. You might be making a rash decision that you would regret later. Article 145 Section 12 states that." The headmaster replied as he turned and prepared to leave. As he reached the door he turned back to Squall. "I'm sorry. I wish there was another way."

Squall sat there for a moment and just as he was about to give up he realized he did have one more option left. "Fine, I understand that sir. May I return to my room and rest there?"

Cid thought about it for a moment as he left. "Yes that would be fine. You can have more privacy that way."

"Thank you, sir." Squall gave a quick salute before sliding slowly out of bed. Irvine stood up and walked over to Squall where he then placed an arm around him to help him walk. 

As Squall and Irvine approached the Dormitory entrances Squall glanced around to see who all was out at that time of night before turning his attention back to Irvine.

"Don't worry Squall, me and Zell will find her and get her back safe with time to spare for the wedding."

Squall nodded slightly and then after taking one last look around turned to Irvine and spoke. "I'm sorry too."

"For what? What did you do?" 

"This!"

With that said, Squall reached out, placed a hand against Irvine's temple and cast a Sleep Spell on him. He then lowered Irvine's form to the floor and straightened back up. He was still in pain from his injuries but he had been acting a lot more hurt than he actually felt. He looked around once more and bagan jogging towards the hangar where his ship, Ragnarok, was being stored. 

{---------------------------------------------------------------------------------}

As the Ragnarok rose sleekly from the ground and away from Balamb Garden, Squall looked back at his home one last time. He wandered if he would ever be able to return without being in handcuffs. He had just attacked a fellow SeeD and ignored a direct order from his Headmaster. Both were considered criminal acts in SeeD and punishable by spending a lot of time in prison. 

Then there was no more time for those types of thoughts as the Ragnarok rose through the last of the cloud cover and was surrounded by starlight. As Squall stared out towards the horizon he saw a shooting star flash across the sky and in that moment he made the second vow in his life.

He vowed that no matter what happened to him, he would see that Rinoa was rescued!

To be continued…

Authors Notes: Wow longest chapter yet! Thanks to Wolfie for reviewing and as always please read and review. See ya next time.


	5. The Quest Begins

All characters belong to Square. I own my own character and this story.

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Chapter Five

The Quest Begins.

Nida was bored. He had been waiting for close to two hours. The train that was carrying Quistis, Selphie and Zell had been delayed due to track damage when Rinoa's train was attacked. So that left him sitting on his bum and bored out of his mind. 

The only interesting thing so far had been to see the Ragnarok go screaming over Balamb Town at full speed. That had been half an hour ago. 

Looking up he saw a light in the distance. Finally, the train was pulling out of the tunnel and heading for the station. He slid out of the seat of the official SeeD vehicle and jogged up to the platform. 

As soon as the train rolled to a complete stop it's doors slid open and the passengers began exiting from their cars. Looking around he spied Zell's tattooed face and walked over to him. 

"Zell! Over here."

Zell, upon hearing Nida's voice turned to his two companions and pointed them towards Nida. 

"Hey Nida, thanks again for offering to give us a ride back to Balamb Garden."

Zell replied happily as the four gathered together near the exit to the station. 

"Sorry Zell no time to chat! You guys are needed back at Garden right away. There's been an accident." Nida then gave them a quick run down on everything that had happened from Rinoa's train being attacked and up to Squall's report about Seifer being involved. 

The others just stood there in shocked silence until Nida pointed out that they needed to hurry. 

Quistis recovered the quickest out of the three and turned to Selphie and Zell. "Come on guys let's get back and talk to Squall. Maybe he's still awake enough to give us some idea where Rinoa is being taken."

With that said the four quickly moved to the car and piled in. As soon as everyone was buckled in they turned around to Nida who was in the drivers seat and asked if he knew anything else. "Well I left right after Headmaster Cid finished talking to Squall since he told me that I should head here to get you guys." He paused for a second to check for traffic before continuing. "I believe he said Irvine was taking Squall back to his Apartment to rest."

"Okay" replied Quistis thoughtfully, "Zell, I want you and Nida to head to Squall's room while Selphie and I head for Headmaster Cid's Office to see what he has planned." 

"Got it Quistis."

Selphie, seated on the passenger side, turned to Nida and asked, "How bad was Squall hurt?"

"He'll live but he got pretty banged up. He had a couple of broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder from slamming through a wooden awning." Nida said. "He took a while to wake up from all the sedatives that were in his system. Whoever did this wanted to make sure he went down quick and stayed down."

"Yikes! Poor guy. We have to help him and Rinoa ok!" commented Selphie as their car left the edge of Balamb Town and moved quickly towards Balamb Garden. The only answer she received was a firm nod of the head from everyone seated in the car. It was all that was needed. The rest of the trip was made in silence. 

{---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------}

The car pulled to a stop in the Garage and as soon as everyone was out of the vehicle they headed off in two different directions. Zell and Nida headed towards the Dormitories while Quistis and Selphie headed for the elevator to take them to the third floor where Headmaster Cid's office was located. 

Zell and Nida trotted past the Training Center and began the walk around the center ring of Garden.

"Man this isn't fair!" Zell suddenly exploded. "Why is this stuff always happening? I mean why is it that as soon as they have something good happen that it gets screwed up by that jerk Seifer. Next time I see that punk I'm gonna teach him some manners." 

Nida noticed how red in the face Zell was getting and started to worry. "Zell calm down and breathe. We'll catch him and then we can take our time and make him pay!"

****

'He's right. You need to calm down before you pop something. And besides when you hold your breath like that it gets rather cramped in here!'

'Oh, sorry Ifrit. I forgot about that. Thanks for the reminder.'

****

'And don't worry. We'll find him and when we do there will be hell to pay. Literally! We GF's haven't forgotten what he did to Odin.' 

By now Zell and Irvine had made it most off the way around the Outer ring and were approaching the Dormitory entrance. As they did they noticed the crumpled form lying on a bench nearby. 

"What the hell? Isn't that Irvine?"

Zell looked to where Nida was pointing and recognized his friend stretched out unconscious. The two immediately ran to the bench and crouched down next to him. 

__

'He's breathing and I don't see any marks on him. I wander why he's passed out?' Zell wondered as they checked him over for injuries. Seeing none Zell stepped back and motioned Nida to do the same. He then touched his hand to his forehead softly before reaching it towards Irvine.

He then spoke out loud the Spell he wanted. "Scan!"

Immediately he heard Ifrit begin to list off all of Irvine's vital stats. **'Everything seems normal… Wait a second… He has a Sleep spell cast on him.'**

"Sleep spell huh? Ok then!" He then touched his forehead again and cast a second spell. "Esuna!" As soon as the spell finished Irvine began to moan lightly and sit up as the spells effects wore off. 

Looking around, Irvine noticed Nida and Zell standing over him. "Whoa, when did you guys get here." Then as everything that had happened began to come back to him he jumped up fast enough to startle the others. "Never mind! We have to find Headmaster Cid right now!"

Noticing the looks of confusion he was receiving he related what had transpired earlier while they were gone. 

As soon as he was done telling them everything, the three set off to find the Headmaster. Within a matter of minutes they were aboard the elevator heading up. 

{---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------}

"So you see that's what happened. I checked and it looks like he took the Ragnarok and left." Finished Irvine before turning and sitting back down in a chair next to Headmaster Cid's Office.

"Yeah, and while I was waiting in Balamb I saw the Ragnarok pass over heading out towards sea." Added Nida from his leaning spot against the far wall. Headmaster Cid sat silently for several moments while glancing around at everyone who was assembled in his office. Leaning against the far wall next to Nida were Selphie and Zell. And seated next to Irvine was Quistis. And behind himself was Balamb's new Garden Master, Tomas Slater. 

Cid slid his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose for a moment while trying to figure out where to start. The decision was taken from him however as Slater stepped forward and addressed everyone in the room. "Very well then. As of now, Squall Leonhart is considered a criminal and is to be apprehended on sight." Sensing everyone ready to stand up for their friend and Commander he stepped forward and continued. "He has broken several of SeeD's codes and he also attacked a fellow SeeD. He is to be captured and returned for Court Martial. Due to the fact that you are all apparently biased on this subject I will be contacting Galbadia Garden and having them send out a team immediately to retrieve Commander Leonhart. They will be authorized to use any force necessary should he refuse to come in voluntarily. Meanwhile, you may continue your search for the missing girl. Miss Heartilly I believe was her name. That is all. Now if you will excuse us, the Headmaster and I have some business that needs addressed."

He then turned and left the room before anyone could object. Headmaster Cid also stood up but instead of leaving he walked over to where everyone was standing and added. "Listen, I understand how you all must feel. So here's what I want you to do. Begin the search for Rinoa. But you also have to find Squall. And you have to do it before the other team does or who knows what might happen." With that said he turned and followed Slater out of the room. As he reached the door he turned back one last time and added, "Now go do what you have to do, just do it faster!"

Once he was gone the room burst into an uproar until Quistis stood up and was able to get everyone's attention. "Ok everyone listen up! Here's what we need to do. Nida you stay here and wait for word from us so that you can pass it on to Cid. The rest of us are leaving and will catch the nest train out of Balamb station. Is that understood." Seeing everybody's approving nods she saluted and led the way towards the elevator.

{------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------}

Authors Notes: Sorry this chapter isn't very long but I decided to break it in half. I hope to have the rest up later tonight. And as always any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks to the following people for their reviews. 

Angelprinczess29, Wolfie, Jenileerose, Blackadder, and Gigashadow. It really helps me to know that this isn't a waste of time. Thanks a bunch!!!!

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	6. In Harm's Way

Yadadada: I don't own FF8. So please don't sue me. I do own my story and characters though.

****

Chapter Six

In Harm's Way.

"Unidentified Aircraft, this is Esther Airstation, do you copy?"

"I copy you Esther. This is the Ragnarok. I'm trying to reach President Laguna Loire. Can you patch me through? Tell him this is Squall Leonhart from Balamb Garden." 

"Copy that Ragnarok, please standby for confirmation of landing clearance."

Squall leaned back in the pilot's chair and stared out through the front view screen. The view outside still took his breath away no matter how many times he saw it. Esther was known as the most technologically advanced city in the world. And it also the largest. Which was why Squall could never figure out how his father had ended up in charge. 

****

'He did help overthrow and capture Adel. He apparently earned their respect.'

__

'Yeah, but why him? Why not Kiros or even Ward? Oh well it isn't my problem who they want to have running the show over there.'

****

'Speaking of your father, what are your plans?'

__

'I'm not entirely sure myself Bahamut. I was kinda hoping that Ellone could send me back into Rinoa and I could find a clue as to where she is being held? After that I just don't know?'

****

'What about Garden? They will undoubtedly send people after you.'

__

'I guess we'll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it.'

"Ragnarok, we have the President on line for you. You can go ahead whenever you are ready."

"Thank you, Airstation." Squall paused until he heard a click followed by the familiar voice of Laguna Loire filter through the speaker.

"Squall, my boy, is that you? How are you? Is Rinoa with you? I wasn't aware you were coming. And Kiros here tells me that I didn't forget either. Which by the way that last time was a complete accident I assure you." Squall not feeling like listening to his father ramble on for fifteen minutes quickly jumped in when Laguna paused for breath. 

"Listen Laguna I need to talk to you and Sis but it wouldn't be safe to talk over the airwaves. Can you get me permission to land so that we can talk?"

"Still won't call me Dad will you? Oh well, of course you can land. I'll have Kiros inform them immediately. And I can even send someone out to get you and bring you back to the palace so that you don't have to walk." Laguna paused for a second and Squall could faintly hear him talking to Kiros in the background. Once he came back on he informed Squall that he could begin the landing and that he would see him in half an hour. After they said their good-byes and signed off, Squall brought the Ragnarok around towards the Airstation and dropped altitude until he was over the landing pad. Once there he dropped the ship down onto the field with only a slight bounce and then shut down all of the engines. As soon as everything was locked down he stood up and grabbed his Gunblade off of the copilot's seat and headed for the exit. 

As he approached the ramp he made a quick check that he was fully Junctioned in case of any monsters still lurking in the city. Then as an afterthought he went ahead and had Diablo's use his ability to make Squall invisible to monsters. He decided he really didn't feel like fighting some random monster. 

As soon as the ramp was back in it's locked position he set out towards the road where he could already see Kiros waiting next to a parked car. 

Kiros saw him and motioned the driver to start the car. He then walked up to Squall and stuck his hand out in greeting. "Squall good to see you again! Laguna is very excited about the visit. In fact he was running around his office thinking of things the two of you could do while you're here."

"I hate to disappoint him," Squall stated sarcastically, "but I only came to see if Ellone could use her powers to help me find Rinoa."

Kiros began to ask what had happened but Squall raised a hand to stop him. "Let's wait until everyone is together so that I don't have to go over it repeatedly."

"Of course. Well shall we go then?"

"Yeah let's get this over with."

{-----------------------------------------------------------------------------}

****

"So as you can see I came here after leaving Garden and was hoping that you could help me." Everyone was sitting around Laguna's office listening as Squall finished filling them in on what had happened in the last forty-eight hours. 

Ellone sat silently for a moment before standing and walking across the room to stand beside Laguna, who was pacing back and forth behind his desk. She then put and arm on his shoulder to stop him. Which was a major relief to everyone else present. She then turned back to Squall with a look of concern plain on her face. "I can try to send you back as close as possible. I need you to lay down on the couch and I want everyone else to stay quiet so that I can concentrate." 

Seeing that everyone understood she walked back over to Squall and motioned for him to lay down. As soon as he did she turned back to Laguna, Kiros and Ward to make sure they were ready. Getting nod from all of them she began.

Squall waited silently as she closed her eyes and swayed silently. Within seconds he began to hear a ringing in his ears and the room started to darken until it faded away completely. 

__

OK Squall I'm going to begin now.

I'm ready whenever you are Sis.

Then slowly at first but quickly speeding up Squall started to notice sounds which were followed immediately by images.

|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dreamscape~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|

Rinoa settled into her cabin as the train began it's descent into the underwater tunnel towards Timber. Opening the small carry on bag she had brought with her, she pulled out the Timber Maniacs magazine she had borrowed from Squall and began to read. 

****

'Rinoa, someone is coming towards the door.'

__

Squall watched through Rinoa's eyes as she glanced up towards the door.

__

'What? Oh thank you Shiva.**'**

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

"Just a second!" Rinoa yelled as she stood up and walked towards the door. She could hear talking coming from the other side of the door and figured it was a steward checking to see if she wanted anything. 

**__**

He watched as she walked forward and grabbed the door handle. In the past he might have yelled a warning but now he knew it would do no good. So he simply watched with dread as she began to open the door.

She pulled the door open to see who was there. Just as she did she heard a mental shout of warning. 

Unfortunately, Shiva's warning was a second too late. The last thing Rinoa saw was the butt of a Rifle connecting with her face. 

**__**

Squall concentrated on those last few seconds and as he did a glint of light reflected off of the attackers chest. He stared harder and saw that it was a medallion of sorts with the picture of a beautiful women on it. Then the image disappeared as Rinoa slipped into unconsciousness.

Then blackness….

|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dreamscape End~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|

Squall jerked awake and sat up so fast he almost fell off of the couch he was sitting on. He heard a yelp as Laguna, who had been kneeling over him jumped back in fright. Remembering where he was at he looked around and noticed Ellone standing silently nearby.

She looked at him and saw that he was fully awake. "Did it help any? I couldn't connect you to any time since then. It's almost as if she is drugged because all I get are random thoughts or memory fragments."

Squall nodded slightly and then went on to describe the medallion he had seen on the attacker. "Other than that medallion I couldn't figure anything out." Cursing softly he stood up from the couch and crossed over to the large window behind Laguna's desk. The medallion might be a clue but if it was than Squall had no idea how to use it. 

Laguna stepped up next to him and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Listen, you sound like you've had a rough time so why don't you stay here tonight and get some rest. First thing tomorrow we can sit down and figure out where to go from here. How's that sound?"

Squall was about to decline when he thought about the fact that there really wasn't anything else he could do that night. And he had to admit to himself that he did need to rest. Other than when he had been unconscious the previous night he hadn't really slept for several days. 

"Yeah if it isn't to much trouble I think I'll stay."

{---------------------------------------------------------------------------------}

Squall had to admit that the bed was comfortable. But he couldn't seem to fall asleep. Looking at the clock next to him he noticed that it was getting close to midnight. Giving up on sleep he rolled out of bed and grunted slightly as he bumped his sore shoulder. He rose and threw on a pair of pant and a black T-shirt that he had grabbed from the Ragnarok and made his way out into the Living Room. He was startled when he realized that someone else was in the room with him. He was just about to dive back into his room where he had left his Gunblade when he heard a polite cough.

"Squall, it's just me Laguna."

"Oh what are you doing up?" he asked, "Or do you always sit around at night trying to scare your guests."

"Actually, I'm a light sleeper and I just came out here to get a glass of water." He replied.

Squall walked over and sat down across the table from him, taking the proffered glass that was handed to him. Taking a sip he stared around the room. It really wasn't to bad a place if you were into a lot of fancy pictures and stuff. 

He was just about to comment on it when someone started pounding on the door. Laguna stood up and walked over to see who would be knocking at such an hour. He opened the door with a little more force than he meant to and slammed it into the wall leaving a hole. "Yes, what is it?" 

To his surprise he was confronted by a blood covered Esther Soldier. 

"Sir! The Palace is under attack!"

To be continued…

Authors Note: Thanks everyone for all of your reviews. And as always have a good night. I am going to bed before my head pops from to much writing.


	7. Midnight Raid

****

All characters and places other than my own are owned by Squaresoft.

Chapter Seven

Midnight Raid

"Sir we have an unknown enemy force inside the palace! They came in dressed as Esther Soldiers. Our Front Gate team thought they were the next shift coming in to work. They took the front gate within minutes and are quickly moving this way." Laguna stared at the guard in shock until Squall grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. 

"Laguna! Snap out of it. Is there a way out of here besides the main gate?" Laguna looked thoughtful for a second before nodding at Squall. 

"Yeah, the delivery entrance goes out the back. It's not very far from here." He turned to the guard standing in the door and pointed at him. "You come with us. We may need the help." He then turned to Squall only to find him gone from sight. He was about to yell out when Squall reappeared from his room carrying an unsheathed gunblade. He strode over to Laguna and pointed towards Ellone's room. 

"Go get Ellone up and dressed as quietly as possible. I'm going to check the hallway outside and see if the coast is clear. Once I do that we get out of here and head for the Ragnarok. You'll be safe there." Squall then turned towards the guard who was still standing near the entrance and motioned for him to stay with Laguna and Ellone. The guard nodded his understanding and moved away from the door to stand next to Laguna. 

Certain that the guard understood his duty, Squall moved up to the entrance and carefully stuck his head out to check the hall. Seeing nothing unusual, he moved out the door and began to creep down the hallway.

__

'Diablos, Bahamut! I want you guys alert and ready for any sneak attacks.'

****

'Already on it. To bad my encounter-none ability doesn't work very well on humans.'

'Silence! Concentrate on the mission Diablos!'

'Sheesh! Sorrrry master Bahamut!'

Squall, doing his best to ignore the two, moved to the end of the hallway and paused to listen for noise. Hearing none he slid around the corner and moved towards the entrance to the warehouse hallway. 

As he approached, he began to hear noises coming from the other side of the door. Slowing to a stop in front of it Squall dropped down on one knee and carefully cracked the door open. Peering through the crack he could make out two forms huddling against the far wall. 

Squall, noting that they hadn't spotted him yet, touched his hand to his forehead and mentally chanted the necessary words to the spell he wanted. 

As the magic rose up in him he stood up and slipped through the door. He cast outwards with his hand and flung two sleep spells at the enemies in front of him. The pair were unconscious before they hit the ground. 

Squall glanced around to make sure he was alone before sneaking over to the crumpled forms. Giving them a quick check, he noticed that they too were dressed as Esther Soldiers. _'Let's see what we have here.'_ Squall thought to himself as he checked for any useful items they might have. 

Finding nothing of interest on them, Squall was just starting to stand up and return to Laguna's apartment when a glint of reflected light caught his eye. Turning back he noticed that one of the guards had a necklace on. It must have slipped out of his uniform when he fell down. Squall quickly reached down and snapped the chain. 

Standing up he inspected the talisman that hung on the chain. It had the crude image of a coiled snake on it but that wasn't what caught his attention as much as what was on the other side! On its reverse was a picture of a beautiful woman. 

The exact same image as he had seen on the talisman worn by Rinoa's kidnappers! But what were they doing here? Was it just a coincidence or something more? 

Pushing those thoughts aside, Squall slipped the item into his pocket and began making his way back towards the Presidential suite. He made it back without any further problems and within minutes he was standing in Laguna's living room. 

Ellone, sitting on the couch with a frightened look on her face was the first to notice him and she immediately jumped up and ran over to him. 

"Squall, thank goodness your safe! You were gone for quite a while and we were beginning to worry." She whispered before glancing over at Laguna, who had just finished loading his machine gun. He walked over to them, followed by the guard. 

"I ran into a few more of those imposter soldiers and had to get rid of them before I could come back."

The guard, having been quiet this whole time, stepped forward and spoke. "Sorry to interrupt but is everyone ready?"

Squall nodded at him then turned his attention back to Laguna and Ellone. "I'll take point followed by Ellone. Laguna, you and the guard are to follow and cover our back." After receiving nods from everyone he continued, "Once we get outside of the palace we snag a car and get to the Ragnarok as quickly as possible."

Everyone, following Squall, made there way out of the apartment and begin the trip towards the warehouse delivery area. They made good time and didn't run into any more soldiers. As they walked Squall motioned Ellone up next to him and then handed her the talisman he had collected earlier. "This is the same as the one I saw in the Dreamscape. I found it on the soldiers I knocked out. Ever seen it before?"

Ellone examined it before giving a shrug in Squall's direction. "No, I can't say I have. You should ask Laguna. He's done a lot of traveling in his time. He might have seen or heard of it before." 

"Yeah, well I'll have to ask him later. I don't want to break up our formation." Squall replied as Ellone handed the necklace back to him. "You better drop back a little. We're coming up on the area where I ran into the guards earlier."

"Ok, be careful." She replied as she slowed down in order to let Squall gain some ground ahead of everyone else. Sneaking a glance over her shoulder she saw Laguna come around the corner behind her. He saw her and attempted one of his goofy smiles but it did little to help her feel any better. The only thing really helping her was the fact that Laguna and Squall had both been through a lot worse than this before and survived. 

Then she noticed something strange. The guard who had been following them hadn't come around the corner yet! She quickly pointed at the corner and Laguna turned to look. Within a second he noticed the same thing and hissed at Squall who stopped and turned to see who had made the noise. Laguna motioned at him to wait while he checked around the corner for the guard. 

Squall nodded and stepped up to Ellone, "Stay behind me and wait. Laguna can check to see what happened." Seeing the look on her face he added, "Don't worry. Laguna knows what he doing."

'Hmmmpphh! Never thought I'd hear you say those words about Laguna!' **** 'Whatever Bahamut!' __ 'What happened to the guard? I think something is wrong here. It's starting to smell like a trap. If you think about it why haven't any alarms gone off or any other guards arrived?' **** 'I don't know. Diablos I want you to junction to Laguna for a little while just to be safe.' __ ****

'As you wish._' _ Squall immediately felt Diablo's presence disappear and move to Laguna.

Ellone waited with Squall and thought about his words. She could only hope that he was right about Laguna's safety.

|************************************************************|

Laguna had just started back down the hallway towards the Apartment area when he felt a presence rush into his mind.

'Hello! Squall sent me to keep an eye on you. Find anything yet?' **** 'Gee, what a vote of confidence! No I haven't yet.' __

Laguna continued along the hallway until he came to the last corner before his apartment entrance. Dropping into a crouch he slid forward and peered around the corner. Standing not five feet away stood two guards, including the one who had been following them. Laguna stayed silent hoping to hear what was going on. 

Unfortunately he was unable to hear anything other than whispers. And he couldn't risk moving any closer or they might spot him. Debating on whether to attack them or to retreat back to the others he noticed that both guards were wearing talismans just like the one Squall had picked up. Seeing this he decided that it would be best to fall back before more enemies showed up. He had to warn Squall and Ellone that they were being herder into a trap! 

He backed up slowly and was just about to turn back down the hallway when he heard a very recognizable sounding CLICK. He heard it at the same time as he felt the barrel of a gun placed against his head. "Hand you gun back with two fingers and stand up very slowly!" 

Weighing his chances he realized he didn't have any that sounded very healthy. So he did as the guard ordered and slowly stood up. Then he remembered something that he could do.

'Diablos? Do you have anyway to get a hold of Bahamut and warn him? Maybe they can get here in time to help.' Laguna asked mentally with a renewed hope that there might be a way out of this after all. __ 'Hold on.' 'OK' __ 'No, they won't be able to help us!' Cursed Diablos! __

'Why not?' Laguna asked as he felt a fresh wave of dread wash over him.

'Because the enemy has them surrounded!' **** 'DAMN!' ****

|******************************************************************|

"Squall, how long should we wait? Maybe we should go look for him." 

"No, he had a ways to go. In the meantime we're pretty exposed out here. Let's head for the Delivery entrance. If he hasn't caught up with us by then I'll find you some place to hide and go find him. Come on, let's go." Squall replied to Ellone before pulling her down the hallway towards the doors. 

Once they arrived at the door he slid the door open and they stepped through into the warehouse. It looked almost exactly the same as last time. The lights were off and the only visible light came from the door on the other side of the room. Squall grabbed Ellone by the hand and half pulled, half dragged her across. 

They were halfway across when Squall realized his mistake. There was one big difference that he should have picked up on. The two guards he knocked out were gone! Squall immediately slid to a stop and pushed Ellone behind him. Holding his gunblade at a ready position he glanced around to see if he could spot a trap. 

At exactly the same time as he heard the laughter coming from above him, Squall felt himself blinded from the massive lights flipping on and destroying his night vision. As his eyes adjusted the light he heard Ellone gasp. 

Looking around he realized that they were completely surrounded by pendant wearing soldiers.

'DAMN!' 

|****************************************************************|

Elsewhere…….

Light…

Dark…

Light…

Dark…

She felt dizzy. The constant shifting of the light above her had been going on since she regained consciousness. How long had that been? A minute? An hour? A day? She had no clue. All she could tell was that she couldn't move. Her drugged mind couldn't comprehend why. She found it hard to even blink. Occasionally she heard noises above. She thought they were voices but she wasn't sure. She tried to think what her name was but even that was impossible. She did the only thing she could do.

She screamed!

To be Continued….

Authors Note:

I love cliffhangers. Sorry for the length of time between updates. I was on vacation away from a computer. 

By the way thanks to the following for their reviews.

Angelprinczess29, Wolfie, Jenileerose, Blackadder, Gigashadow

And special thanks to team-senshi for their ideas and constructive criticism. It helped a lot.

****


	8. Strike's Pain

This story is mine but all characters and places are copyright of Squaresoft. Except for the ones I create.

Authors Pre Notes:

Just so you know. This chapter introduces a new character into the story. It is mainly his background and tells a little about his past adventures. It may seem rather unimportant but if you bear with me you will see later on just how important it will be. Well, enough of my ramblings. On with the story.

****

Chapter Eight

Strike's Pain

Sensing that night was quickly closing in; the man reined his horse to a stop and dismounted. He had been riding since dawn and figured it wouldn't help his journey any if he killed his horse from exhaustion. After dismounting he turned to the task of unsaddling and feeding the tired animal.

Sensing movement Taron Strike turned his head away from the horse as he spotted a large wolf slinking along the treeline nearby. Instead of reaching for his katana or his ax he simply went back to the task of cleaning his horse and prepared to set camp.

"SwipeClaw you overgrown fleabag! You'll have to do better than that if you want to try and scare me." He yelled at the wolf causing it to look up at him. The wolf seemed to understand because it stood up and trotted over to where Taron was preparing to make a fire to cook dinner. 

In actuality the wolf did understand him. The two of them were a bonded pair. They were linked to each other through a mental link that allowed them to communicate just as two humans would. Only no words were spoken aloud, it was done through thoughts and images. 

****

'Who ever said I was trying to sneak up on you? I just happened to be stalking a rabbit until you yelled and scared it away.' 

'_Sure you were SwipeClaw!_' Taron laughed as he glanced down at the wolf stretched out next to him by the fire. Even after all these years he still marveled at the wolf's appearance. SwipeClaw was larger than most wolves and even though he was in a relaxed position at the moment, you could still tell that he was covered in muscle underneath his fur. He had thick reddish brown fur with spots of black mixed in around his flanks. The most amazing thing about him though were his eyes. The left one was sea green but the right one was a deep blue that matched Taron's own eyes. 

__

'Speaking of rabbit. Are you hungry?'

****

'Who me? Hungry! Of course I am.'

__

'Well then Swipe lets go hunting.' Taron stood up and moved over to his saddle where he grabbed his bow and his quiver of arrows. Then checking to make sure that Swipe was following turned and headed out into the forest.

Less than an hour later the two were sitting around a fire with full stomachs and several extra rabbits cooking to take with them on their journey the following day. Taron, using his saddle as a backrest, sat staring up at the stars thinking about many different things. 

Swipe trotted over next to him and plopped down with his head on Taron's lap. **'Can you tell me the story again?' **

__

'Which one? You've been around for all of our adventures.'

****

'The first one. When I was a cub. I was too young to remember it.'

__

'Sure, just as long as you don't keep interrupting again.'

"Ok then, let me think. Well it started before you were born so I'll start from there. It went like this…"

****

7 years before.

"Taron hurry up we're going to be late!" Came a voice from outside of the hut Taron and his father lived in. Taron jumped up from where he had been napping and rushed outside to find out who had yelled. 

It was his best friend Sierra. She stood slightly shorter than him and had red hair that looked like it was on fire in the sunlight. She was considered one of the best looking women in camp and many of the boys constantly tried to win her attentions. Most gave up after a few tries though as it was such a rarity to see her away from Taron's side. She was only a few days younger than Taron and today was the day they were both supposed to go see the wolf pups. If they were lucky one of the pups would pick them as a bond. 

Taron couldn't help but shudder as he remembered how the pups bonded. They would watch all of the people who were visiting them and when they found one they liked then they would bite that person on the hand. 

But being a Wolf Nomad meant that when you turned fifteen you went and found a wolf to bond with. Now it was Sierra and Taron's turn. Plus once you were bitten it meant you were considered an adult. 

As they approached the hut with the wolf pups he noticed that Sierra was shaking slightly. "Don't worry I'm sure it will only hurt for a second." Sierra nodded at him and then surprised him by reaching out and grabbing his hand. Taron could only wonder about it for a moment though as they had now entered the hut.

Walking forward Taron looked around and noticed that no one else was in the room except for a large she-wolf and several pups. The wolf looked up at them as they approached. Taron thought for a second as he tried to remember the wolf's name. 

Oh yeah its TrueClaw. He thought to himself as they drew to a stop in front of her and knelt down. 

TrueClaw looked at Taron for a moment before sweeping her gaze to Sierra and finally down to her pups. Looking down she noticed one of the pups had wandered off towards the door. Taron followed her gaze and noticed the same thing. He stood up quietly so as not to startle the other pups and stepped over to pick the wanderer up. 

With surprising speed it turned and stared back at Taron. Taron was immediately caught off guard by its two different colored eyes and simply kneeled there looking at it. The pup suddenly and without warning snarled at him and dove forward sinking its milk teeth into his left hand. 

'**SwipeClaw. SwipeClaw I am.**' The pup then noticed Taron's bleeding hand and licked the wound clean. 

****

'I choose you!' Mumbled the little pup before falling asleep in Taron's hands.

Taron, at a loss for words cradled SwipeClaw to his chest and turned to see that Sierra was doing the same with a little female pup.

'Her name is SilentClaw' spoke Sierra. Taron jumped and almost dropped Swipe in the process as he realized that Sierra had just spoken in his mind. With a look of confusion on his face he motioned her outside and the two left the hut and emerged into the bright sunlight.

"What was that?" He immediately demanded as soon as they were out of earshot of anyone else.

"I don't know, it just happened. Maybe it was because the pups bonded with us at the same time." She guessed. "That would be nice. We'd be one big happy family."

Thinking about it for a second, Taron had to agree. He had known Sierra for a long time and of late he had started to think of her as more than a friend. "I'd really like that. A lot!" 

From that day forth; the four of them became inseparable. Over the next several years Sierra and Taron's feeling quickly grew from those of friendship into those of two people in love. 

So it was to no ones surprise when Taron asked Sierra to marry him shortly after they turned eighteen. The tribe held a large celebration and rejoiced that the two had found each other.

****

Present…

Taron finished his story and looked down to see that Swipe had fallen asleep with his head on Taron's lap and was snoring. Giving him a quick pat behind the ears, Taron looked back up at the night sky and thought about his sweet Sierra. 

Things were great. They loved each other and were beginning to think about children. Taron had become the lead scout for the tribe and when they moved camp each fall and spring he would range ahead to find the best route. He could then send the directions back to Sierra and she in turn would pass them on to the others.

The tribe had been skeptical at first about Sierra's powers but once she proved them to the tribe they became very useful. 

It was during one of Taron's scouting journeys that his world had shattered forever. 

****

Two years ago…

"What do you think Swipe?"

****

'I think this looks like the safest route out of any we've checked so far.'

Taron looked out over the pass in front of him. It led down the final stretch of mountains before the warmer prairies of lower Trabia. It had been the driest and flattest route that Swipe could sniff out. Trusting the wolf's judgement he sent the images of the pass back to Sierra and prepared to return to meet her halfway.

Over the next half an hour he rode upwards towards the top of the pass where he would meet up with everyone else. SwipeClaw trotted along next to him and on occasion would lope ahead to inspect an interesting patch of snow.

WHAMM!! The image hit him like a hammer and caused him to tumble backwards off his horse and slam hard to the ground. Swipe immediately noticed and charged back towards him.

It was an image sent from Sierra but it was so jumbled he had been unable to understand it. Then another one hit and he was able to see part of it. He saw men charging forward from all directions with various weapons held high. 

Then he saw men and wolves alike locked in battle! He could tell from Sierra's fear that they were outnumbered. 

Then a final image appeared before his eyes and burned itself into his mind. 

All he saw was a sword descending and then the link was gone.

Screaming and half mad with pain Taron climbed to his feet and pulled himself onto his horse and tore off up the hill towards the battle. With Swipe at his side he rode for another half an hour until his horse had to slow from exhaustion. He could see smoke not far ahead and urged his horse onwards. He was just cresting the hill when the attack came. But not from in front as he would have expected. He was hit with an arrow in his left side and knocked from his horse. 

Ignoring the pain he quickly rose and pulled his katana from its sheath on his back. Spinning he saw several men charging towards him. He quickly grabbed his axe from his belt and flung it at the nearest target killing him instantly. Then they were on him and there was no time for thought. Only actions and instincts. He barely noticed as SwipeClaw jumped up on an attacker and bit into his throat. Slamming his sword into yet another attacker he spun and ducked a blow from a mace meant for his head. 

Despite his best efforts he was slowly being pushed backwards towards a cliff edge. It continued for several more minutes with Taron gaining ground and then losing ground. As he spun to slam the handle of his katana into an attacker's nose he felt another slip under his guard and slam a sword into his side. 

His armor took the majority of the impact but the force of the impact shoved him backwards several steps. That was all it took. His right foot came down on air. And then he was falling. Just before he hit the ground twenty feet below he saw the attackers grinning face staring down at him.

He didn't know how long he was knocked out for, but when he awoke it was dark out and he was lying on his back staring upwards. Checking carefully to see if anything was broken he sat upright and looked around confused as to why he was at the bottom of a cliff. Then as the days earlier memories rushed back to him he bolted upright ignoring the protests of his injured body and began the arduous task of climbing back up the cliff. 

When he reached the top his heart froze when he saw SwipeClaw laying on his side and not moving. Rushing over to him he breathed out in relief upon sight of his bondmates chest rising and falling. He had a large bump on his head but other than that he would be alright. Turning he struck out as quickly as he could for where he could still see smoke rising from the trees.

The sight he found sent him into dry heaves. Slaughter! Everyone, including women, children and wolves. Searching around he found what he had hoped he wouldn't find. Laying on the ground near the still burning wagon was a burnt necklace with a dove on it that Taron had given to Sierra the night they were married. Collapsing to the ground he stared at the wagon and watched his whole life burn to the ground. His precious Sierra had been in that wagon. 

For how long he laid there he didn't know. He dimly sensed Swipe sit down next to him and let out a mournful howl. 

When Taron arose he was a different man than a day before. Looking around he spotted another body, but it belonged to one of the enemies. Stooping down he picked up a broken neck chain that had a talisman with a snake on it and a woman on the other side. Looking around at the other bodies he noticed they all wore similar items. 

Taron Strike vowed that day that his new job in life would be to hunt down everyone who had done this.

****

Present…

Taron snapped awake and sat upright in shock as a cold wet nose poked him in the face.

****

'Gee you going to sleep all day or are we going to continue towards Trabia Garden.'

__

'Oh sorry, Swipe, I was having a bad dream. Yeah, let's go see if these SeeD's know anything about Talismans!'

Authors Note:

Well that's the new character. He will be playing a major role in this story. Next chapter will have the gang back in it and a major revelation will come to light. Thanks to Team-senshi for the extremely helpful criticism and to gigashadow for their reviews. See ya next time.

****


	9. CounterAttack

All characters belong to Squaresoft. Except for the ones I create. I own them.

****

Chapter Nine

Counter-Attack

After their weapons were taken and they were bound up with rope Squall and Laguna found themselves sitting on the ground in the corner of the warehouse. Ellone was also tied but she was taken and put on the other side of the room. 

The sergeant who was apparently the leader of the group approached Squall and Laguna and knelt down in front of them. "So you walked right into our trap! I would have expected more from a SeeD." 

Laguna, sitting back to back with Squall, tried to turn to talk with their captor but only managed to pull the rope tighter and put pressure on Squall's already injured shoulder. "Let Ellone go you bastard! I'm the one you want. She has nothing to do with whatever it is you need me for."

"Heh," laughed the sergeant, "On the contrary! We don't want either of you. It was the bitch we wanted. Nothing personal but orders are orders."

"What! You want her! Why you fu…"

Squall hissed at Laguna to calm down and turned his attention back to the guard. "Why does Seifer want her?"

The sergeant looked startled that Squall knew about Seifer but quickly recovered before continuing. "Well I guess it doesn't matter now anyway's. Seifer and the boss want her because she has a certain potential that could be beneficial to our cause." 

"You mean her ability to send people back into the minds of others in the past?"

"Exactly! The boss thinks she might have a small amount of Sorceress ability." He replied.

Squall remained silent for several seconds as he processed this new information. "So that's why you kidnapped Rinoa. Because of her Sorceress powers! Where is she? She had better be alright." 

"Oh come on now! You think I'm gonna tell you everything!" The sergeant asked sarcastically before glancing at his wrist chrono and standing up. "Well, if you two will excuse me, our transport should be here any moment."

He turned and motioned to the guards watching Ellone; who roughly grabbed her and began pulling her towards the exit. Stooping one last time he patted a stuttering and extremely pissed off looking Laguna on the top of the head. 

"Uncle Laguna! Help!" Ellone yelled as she struggled to pull free and run to Squall and Laguna's side.

Squall, still tied, could do nothing but watch as she was hit on the head and dragged out the door. Turning back to the guard he decided to try one more question. "What about us?"

The sergeant ignored Squall's question but stopped at the door and turned back to the two remaining guards standing next to him. "Wait until you get my signal that we've taken off and kill them!"

|*************************************************************|

"So, Quistis, any idea where to go from here?" 

"I'm not sure, Selphie, I thought maybe we could check in with Galbadia Garden and see if they would give any details on their pursuit of Squall." She answered the perky girl next to her as they stood on the boarding platform in Deling City. "What do you think Irvine?"

When Irvine didn't reply immediately, the two girls turned to see the problem. Irvine, who's attention was drawn by two scantily clad girls walking by, hadn't heard the question. He did notice the slap across the cheek he received from Selphie. "What huh? I was watching for snipers! Yeah that's it."

"At the risk of sounding like a certain commander of ours; WHATEVER!" Selphie snapped before repeating Quistis' previous question. 

"Yeah' lets check out Galbadia Garden. Maybe we can pretend that Cid sent us to help and tag along with that team. That way we'd kill two chocobo's with one stone." 

Quistis thought about it for a second but could think of no better ideas. So far they had had no luck looking for Rinoa. Her trail had ended on the train. They had left Zell in Balamb to check out the crime scene and would contact him later to figure out where to meet back up. 

"Ok then, lets head for Galbadia Garden and see what's happening." She finally replied. 

As they walked towards the Car Rental Agency they failed to notice a man step out of the shadows and start following them.

While the three went inside and rented a vehicle he snuck around to the side to watch for which car pulled out. After making a note of which car it was he pulled a cell phone out and dialed.

"Yeah it's me."

He listened for a few moments to someone on the other end before continuing. "Yeah, they just left Deling City. I listened in on their conversation at the Train Station. They're heading for Galbadia Garden. I want you to contact the Galbadia Team. I'll get a hold of the sleeper team inside Balamb Garden and tell them to keep an eye open. And make sure that the Galbadians know that I want them eliminated! Make sure their bodies don't turn up later."

He hung up his phone and turned to walk back the way he had came.

|********************************************************************|

"What are we going to do? You got any bright ideas, son?" 

"Yeah, quit calling me son."

"Oh sorry! What I meant was do you have any ideas on how to get out of here."

__

'Whatever.' "I know what you meant and yes I do so let me concentrate!"

****

'Do you think it will work? Even if you get loose, you still don't have your sword.'

__

'I know that Bahamut but if I can surprise them long enough I might be able to hit them with Sleep spells again.'

Squall figured that they were down to a few minutes before the order came to execute him and Laguna. He had a plan, in fact that had been why he kept talking to the sergeant. He was trying to buy time to work. While the guard had been gloating, he had been carefully rubbing his rope against a sharp piece of metal sticking out of the ground under him. 

Now he had it almost completely worn through. The next minutes seemed to drag by as he worked carefully at the last thread of rope. 

He almost had it when one of the guard's communicators started beeping. The guard quickly grabbed and flipped it on. After listening for a few moments he flicked it back up and nodded at the other soldier.

Several things happened in the following moments. The rope snapped freeing Squall! The guards saw him free his hands and immediately brought their weapons up to track him and the lights snapped off. 

Not caring what caused the outage, Squall grabbed Laguna and rolled sideways across the room. Bullets bounced harmlessly off the wall behind him. After coming to a stop, Squall shoved Laguna behind a storage container and immediately dove towards where he had just seen gunfire. 

He slammed into someone and was awarded with a grunt of pain as he knocked the wind out of them. Squall immediately pulled back and slammed his elbow into the guard's nose before grabbing his neck and snapping it. 

Shoving the body to the side he stepped silently the opposite way and remained quiet. Squall knew his only chance was to find the guards position and hit him with a sleep spell. '_Boy I hope they don't have night vision goggles!'_

The guard still had an advantage though. He had his gun. If the guard decided to stop waiting and unloaded his clip across the room then Squall would be in trouble. Deciding to take a risk he stepped out into the middle of the room and away from the relative safety of the wall. If the guard decided to shoot blind then chances were he would aim for the wall instead of the center of the room.

Squall had just made it to the center when his plan backfired. The lights snapped back on and he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun. 

The guard smiled and was just about to pull the trigger when a fire extinguisher bounce of his head and he slumped to the floor. Standing behind him was a sheepish looking Laguna scratching his head and smiling. 

"You okay?" 

Squall nodded while looking around. Spying his gunblade nearby he grabbed it and bolted out the door leading outside. The road was completely empty and there was no trace of Ellone.

Cursing mentally he walked back inside to see Kiros and Ward standing next to Laguna.

Squall noted that Ward was holding what looked like a handheld computer. Kiros noticed him looking and answered his unspoken question. "It's a security monitor. We were worried when Laguna didn't answer his door so we've been tracking you guys by camera. I saw them getting ready to shoot so we killed the lights hoping to give you an advantage."

"Thanks Kiros. I have a favor to ask. Can you guys run this talisman through the computer and see if anything comes up. It might give us a clue as to where Ellone was taken. And Rinoa hopefully." Squall pulled the talisman out of his pocket and handed it to Ward. 

Turning to Laguna he checked to see if he was alright. Other than looking like he had a cramp in his leg he seemed OK. "By the way. Laguna thanks for the help. You saved my life. I guess you could call me son once in a while. Just don't over do it. Now lets go see what we can find out about this talisman. We have a score to settle!"

To be continued…

Authors Note: Thanks for all the reviews everyone. All my previous reviewers along with Team-senshi, the-angel-of-the-lion and blackadder.


End file.
